It's funny how you can fall in love with something at first sight for completely different reasons than you do upon second glance. The dining room area of the house was my least favorite room when we first saw it - it seemed awkwardly placed, even off putting - the one room in the house I found questionable.
Table, benches, chair and non-bookcase bookcase found at obscure sidewalk sales, consignment shops and swap-meets. Round mirror from Ikea, formerly on our old bedroom wall.
photo is of my friend, Brooke. Took it of her in Greece, 2003
The dining room has become, not only my favorite room in the house, but everyone's favorite household destination. It's where we eat and draw and make new things out of old things and compute and discuss and throw our bags down at the end of the day.
It is also the room where we hang the family portrait:
Unfortunately, I'll need to get our "Family Portrait" reprinted because of poor cropping. Photo is also in desperate need of a massively gaudy frame.
(Hal represents the both of us in this picture.)
place-mats for summer
stand/bowl belonged to my great-great grandmother. It's a treasure for sure.
This is the heart of our living space, surrounded on all sides, by doorways that lead to other rooms.
Eventually, I'd like to find a lovely rug for under the table and some massive clay pots for indoor plants to jungle-ize the space but for now? It feels just right as it is. Especially in the early evening when the room fills with a special kind of light.
GGC
For inside/outside inspiration check out Jordan Ferney's blog. I met Jordan at last year's Broad Summit and have been loving her hard ever since. So much inspiration to collect from her archives. A class act she surely is. Oh happy day! indeed.
31 comments:
This is just fantastic! Stylish and 'every day' at the same time.
I have a question for you,
do you manage to keep things in place with a toddler around? I mean, the flowerpot or the photos?
My toddler is 20 months as well, almost 21 and he thinks everything is a toy..
if yes, how have you managed?
sldo, I love how you have nth unnecessary, nth neutral, nth that is not carefully chosen.
I love the table and benches. And your great-gradmother's stool. AWESOMNESS. The place looks so home-y, as if you've already been there for years!
1. I LOVE Jordan's blog. It is one of my favorites. I want to take one of her printing classes.
2. Your new house is so wonderful Rebecca. You are so lucky. I hope I can find something as wonderful when I move from Sac to SoCal in the fall. Any suggestions for navigating the rental market down there?
3. I adore the table you have in the dining room. Well and in general I am totally digging the decor in your house. You did an amazing job to unpacking and getting comfy and homey looking super fast. I am so bad at unpacking things in any sort of timely manner.
I am so jealous right now I can't even comment.
Okay I've recovered. I've never found anything that gorgeous at a swap meat!! Maybe because the swap meat in Hawaii is filled with cheap aloha shirts, car stereos and oversized beach towels.
I am green with envy.
Oh, yay! I was so glad to see more of your design...I'm presently in the midst of a move back across continent, and love that your home is filled with the found and the thrifted and the unusual. So much more heavenly than just popping into a high price design store and pointing. Though I wouldn't sneeze at that, come to think of it.
i LOVE that you put that picture on your wall!
that is major awesomeness right there, plus it shows your family's great sense of humour.
And in your family portrait there are 3 children! : )
You go girl!
Barbara
Lovely!!
If I'm ever fortunate enough to rent a home as lovely as that, will you fly out to NJ and be my decorator? Your eye is amazing.
oooo .. lovely!
I love the way you tease with your photographs by saving the best for last - the lovely light coming through the french doors that are open .. Oh My God .. soooo lovely - magazine worth lovely imho.
thanks for sharing!!!
such fun! we're signing our set of docs today for our house & we hope to be able to start moving in this weekend. i can't wait to put our things on the walls since they've been in boxes for a year.
i want to go to there.
Oh my GOSH! There ARE three children in the portrait! (My friend's daughter but STILL!) Whoa.
Lovely!
And I have the same peacock coffee mug. It is the only one I will use I love it so much!
Great pictures! Your house looks absolutely lovely! So wonderful that you're all settling in so nicely.
Thanks for posting Jordan's blog. I've only read through a couple of post and I'm already addicted!!
Love the room - I was flabbergasted to see that I have almost the same plant stand that belonged to my great-grandmother! Some simple differences, but same marble, flower detail! Wonder what the history of it is... she grew up in New Jersey and upstate New York.
Gorgeous dining room with great light and fantastic furniture finds. And, boy, am I jealous of the arched doorways.
I just love your house! And the dining room is divine.
drooling over your new pad! so lovely.
moving into a 1920's bungalow o'er here in denver soon and just may have to steal some style inspiration from you...
Two thing:
1. Wow, your house is so amazing.
and
2. I'm blushing! Thank you.
Oh my God I LOVE that picture of your husband dressed as you! It makes me laugh just thinking of that post!
Its a beautiful space. As I was reading your post my husband was looking over my shoulder reading with me. He said:
"Hmm one room, 4 doors. Kinda like a heart really, maybe thats why she likes it"
So maybe!
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I love the way in which you document your life. Your home. The way you make it so uniquely yours, is great.
That family portrait truly is BAD ASS! It looks so professional. And the portrait being in black and white makes it an even greater piece.
You wrote, "family portrait" and then I thought for a second: "Wait a minute, you're not in it." But then I realized what you wrote (before even reading it): "Hal represents the both of us in this picture."
Very true. ;o)
Amazing room! I am especially in awe of the table and benches. I think it's the perfect mix of funky, stylish, and cozy. Love it.
I love your style! Our house is feeling super-cluttered right now and I love to see how many open spaces you maintain. It's such a serene room. And I love that it's also a hub of activity. Bravo!
I find that family picture so fitting.
As a former denizen of the 909, your new place reminds me of everything that I love about southern california (I think I left before SoCal became all the rage).
ALSO, I totally just spent the last week or so reading your *entire* archives - long time reader, first time caller, that thing. I've been officially recommending your blog to my bff / hetero life mate (who, actually, just had a baby with the dude she had been dating for, oh, 4 months or so, and now they're getting married).
I guess I just wanted to say, omg, Rebecca, do you know how far you've come? I've been wiping away tears for the last few days, and this thing that you made? It's amazing. <3
I think that families naturally congregate in a kitchen/eating area. It's an important part of our lives, eating is what brings us together. Glad you're enjoying the house :)
"Hal represents the both of us in this picture" hehe, you just made my day :) (and made me delurk) Love your blog!
This is exactly why I want a huge slab of a table when we finally have a dining room - it seems like it would be the heart of the house, a place for eating together, doing homework while dinner gets ready, catching up over a snack... Yours is fantastic, may i add. Wow.
(Perfect that my word ver is 'thral')
Those last two pictures of Fable made it seem like you guys have lived there for years. It's beautiful! Congratulations.
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